


Riddikulus

by FalseCamaro (Gandalfgirl579)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Body Horror, Harry Potter AU, Hogwarts AU, M/M, kinda-sorta, pynch - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-20
Updated: 2016-05-20
Packaged: 2018-06-09 15:25:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6912790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gandalfgirl579/pseuds/FalseCamaro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Do you remember the spell used to change the boggart's shape, Lynch?"</p><p>There was a sneer on Ronan's lips when he gave his reply: "Riddikulus." It was a barb, though everything Ronan Lynch said was a barb.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Riddikulus

"Boggarts are not particularly dangerous," Professor Greenmantle was explaining, his voice echoing off the damp brick of the chamber walls. He sounded disinterested. "Their magic is considerably weaker than the magic of the being whose shape they're assuming, in most cases. They are, of course, taking the shape of your deepest fear, and therein lies the danger of doing battle with such a creature."

 

It was a well-worn speech. He'd been giving it for years, and his students had heard it over and over all through their school years.

 

Near the center of the dank classroom, submerged in the crowd of bored students, Ronan rolled his eyes, and beside him, Adam shot him a dark look, clearly disapproving.

 

"We learned about boggarts first year." Ronan's voice was little more than an indignant grumble, arms crossed over his chest, leaning onto the other boy's shoulder, wrinkling both of their robes. "It's not like anyone actually fights 'em anymore."

 

"Better safe than sorry," was all Adam had to say on the subject. It sounded like a warning.

 

"Yeah, but this is kid stuff..."

 

"If it's kid stuff..." Suddenly Professor Greenmantle was among the crowd of students, a sly look on his face, calm and collected as ever. Ronan smirked under his gaze: A defense mechanism. "Do you remember the spell used to change the boggart's shape, Lynch?"

 

There was a sneer on Ronan's lips when he gave his reply: " _Riddikulus_." It was a barb, though everything Ronan Lynch said was a barb.

 

"Very good." Facing away from the students, toward the wardrobe quaking at the front of the room, Professor Greenmantle continued, "The _Riddikulus_ charm does not _ward off_ a boggart, but forces it into another shape, one that brings forth laughter instead of horror, and that ought to give the caster time to capture the boggart, if he's any good." He turned into the class again, saying, "Lynch, since you seem to be an expert on the subject, I'd like you to face our little boggart first."

 

"Me?" Suddenly, all Ronan's bluster seemed to fade, and he tossed a glance to Adam, glaring when he lifted his eyebrows and gave a challenging smile. " _Fine_." It came out sounding rather like a curse.

 

"Take your position." Professor Greenmantle stepped up to the side of the creaking wardrobe, one hand poised at the latch on the door, the other hidden in the pocket of his robe. On his wand, no doubt. "Push your fears aside, and simply speak the charm. Easy as pie."

 

The latch clicked open, and Ronan drew his wand.

 

His breath caught in his chest when the boggart stumbled out of the wardrobe.

 

Its shape was familiar, all dusty hair and freckled cheeks and stormy-sky eyes.

 

But its eyes were not eyes, but red, bloody pits filled with flowers. Blue lilies, Ronan thought, all other thoughts fleeing at the sight of the thing. Its shoulders, broad and strong, trembled. Its bare feet rooted into the ground, and its every step ripped up those roots, a bloody trail marking its path to him.

 

Ronan stepped backward, shielding the real Adam as best he could in his half-stunned state.

 

Greenmantle watched all the while, impassive.

 

The boggart's hands were the worst part, Ronan decided, lacking fingers, but making up for them in long, thorny twigs.

 

"Ronan..." Its voice was too familiar, and Ronan felt a wave of panic come over him. Something about this was all too familiar, and it was all he could do not to collapse, to keep himself standing between Adam and the thing that wore his face. "It hurts..."

 

"You're not him," was all Ronan could force past his lips.

 

Those words actually brought tears to the boggart's flower-filled eyes, and it murmured a soft, "Help me, Ronan." It reached for him with twiggy fingers.

 

Ronan took a step back, his free hand darting behind him to squeeze at Adam's-- _The real Adam's_ \-- arm. He was as tense as Ronan was.

 

"I did this _for you_." Its voice was a shivery thing, like wind in leaves, though it was doubtlessly Adam's voice. "I said I would be your hands." It held up its hands, and when Ronan took another step back, it hid its face in them, sobbing, bare, freckled shoulders quivering.

 

Ronan lifted his wand. " _Ridd_..." His voice failed him, dying in his throat, shriveling into the rattle of dried grass.

 

"I said I would be your eyes," the boggart said in its stolen voice. One hand lifted to its face, and it plucked a single, perfect lily from its eye socket. It was the exact color of Adam's eyes, a dark, stormy blue. "My eyes," it said, holding the flower out as if an offering, " _for yours_."

 

"Lynch," Greenmantle said.

 

The boggart paid him no mind, and it stepped closer, its twiggy fingers dragging along Ronan's cheek. A thorn snagged into soft skin when Ronan glanced back to the real Adam.

 

Steeling himself, Ronan pressed the tip of his wand to the skin beneath the boggart's chin. Softly, shakily, he rasped, " _Riddikulus._ "

 

Behind him, his wand in hand, the real Adam was pale as death.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, it's the Harry Potter AU no one asked for! :D
> 
> Ro must be a Slytherin, of course. Adam, I'm not so sure. He's either a Gryffindor or a Puff, I'm not sure. I like him being a Puff. There aren't enough Puffs in the world. I guess he could be a Ravenclaw, too, but as smart as he is, he's more than just a brain, y'know? So Hufflepuff for him.
> 
> Also, Greenmantle is a professor because I adored him, even if he was terrible. I loved him from the point he called cows assholes. That was gold. He was gold, and he deserved better. BTW, for him, the boggart would have looked like Piper. Her, I did not like.
> 
> Excited for more fics? Have constructive criticism or even just silly comments to add? Let me know! And as always, I must mention that I go by Exxxalted on Tumblr, and I'm totally open to taking questions and comments and requests and prompts there! :) Hit me up!


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